Machine for cutting leather.



A. W. SGHAEBER.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING LEATHER.

VAPPLIGATION FILED MAR. 1a, 190s.

Patented Oct. 13,1908.

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AUGUST W. SCHAEFER, OF NEW YORK,N. Y.

MACHINE EOE CUTTING LEATHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

Application filed March 18, 1908. Serial No. 421,809.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST WV. SCHAEFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Machines for Cutting Leather, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine for cutting leather into strips of uniform width to be used for dog-collars, shawlstraps, harness-leather, lacing leather, welts, whip-lashes and similar articles, also for trimming leather; and the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts which will be fully described herein` after and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,iFigure 1 represents a plan-view of my improved ma*v chine for cutting leather, Fig. 2 is a rear-elevation of the machine with the feed-rollers removed, Fig. 3 is a. vertical longitudinal section, on line 3, 3, Fig. l, and Figs. 4 and 5 are'details for adjusting the lower keeper of the cutting knife. p

Similar letters o f reference indicate corre sponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, a representsthe supporting table of my Yimproved leathercutting machine. On the table is arrangedv a longitudinal gage o along which the leather to be cut is guided towards the cutting knife. On the gage b is supported, at right angles to the same, a cross-bar 51 to which are ap-v plied by screws b2 the upper ends of two flat springs Z which are bent around the crossbar and then `in forward direction, the free ends of said springs pressing onV the leather which is moved along the gage so as to press the same firmly against the cuttingedge of a vertical knife e arranged parallel with the gage. The knife@ is located in aslot s of the table, the slot being located at right angles to the gage In, and is adjustably supported at two points, one above and the other below the table, by means of two keepers 7 and g, the upper one being centrally recessed and supported by an adjustableblock f1 on a second cross-bar f2 which block is firmly secured to the cross-bar f2 by a set-screw f3, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The lower keeper g consists of a slotted slide-piece 7L having dovetailed sides and being guided in dovetailed ways /Ll attached to the under-side of the table, said slide-piece being adjusted in the guideways and secured in position at the under-side of the table by a clamping-piece 72.3 and set-screw 7a2 screwed into the clamping-piece 71.3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The lower end of the knife is inserted into the slotted keeper g which is located at one end ofthe slide-piece 71. and securely held therein by means of a clamping screw g1, while the upper end is held by the slotted keeper f above the table, so that the edge of the knife between the two points of support is rigidly supported and capable of cutting through any thickness of leather which is fed against the knife for being cut into strips. The blunt rear-edge of the cutting knife is provided with a'shoulder r which rests on the table and prevents the lowering of the knife in its support. The under-side of the rear-edge of the table a is tapered or beveled so as to provide the required space for a ribbed feed-roller m,

below the table, and a smooth feed-roller lm1, above the same, which take up the leather after the same has been. pushed forward along the gage and past the cutting knife, so that the quick cutting ofi1 of a leather strip is completed by drawing the piece of leather' quickly over the table, the width of the strip being equal to the distance between the gage andthe knife. The upper feed-roller m1 is smooth so as to make no marks on the face of the leather when cutting it into strips. From time to time the knife is removed for being sharpened and then replaced in position.

In Vthe drawing a double machine for cutting leather into strips is shown, one on each side of the gage o. rl`he operative parts are symmetrically arranged at both sides of the gage, so that strips of the same or different sizes can be cut. The feed-rollers serve for drawing theleather pieces through both machines. The machine at one side of the center gage mayV be adjusted for cutting wider strips, while the machine at the other side may be adjusted for cutting narrower strips. For cutting a piece of leather into strips, the edge of the same is first trimmed off straight and then placed alongside the gage and moved forward towards the cutting knife. The forward motion 'imparted to the piece of leather by hand will produce the cutting olf of a short piece of strip until the leather is moved sufiiciently forward for being taken up by the feed-rollers and then drawnthrough past the cutting knife, whereby a strip of uniform thickness is quickly cut off. The piece of leather is then returned Vagain into the former initial position and other articles.

the next strip cut off, and so on, until the l strips, the combination of a` table, a gage entire piece of leather is cut up into strips of l applied to the table and having a cross-bar the required width.

The advantages of my improved machine for cutting leather' are that strips of any thickness and width can be quickly and uniformly cut off from a piece of leather of suitable thickness, also leather of two or more thicknesses; next, that the operation of cutting is performed in a quick and reliable manner; and, last-ly, that skilled labor is not required for cutting olf the strips as unskilled hands can readily operate the machine after a little practice.

The machine can also be used for cutting heavy paper, pasteboard, canvas, reed and It can be run by hand or power, and can cut strips of from Jl; of an inch up to any desired width.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Iatent:

l. In a machine for cutting leather into strips, the combination, with a table, of a gage on the same, an upright cutting knife extending above and below the table, and means for adjustably supporting said knife at its upper and lower ends.

2. In a leather cutting machine, the combination, with a table having al slot, of a gage on the table, and a knife extending through said slot and adjustably supported at its ends for movement toward and away from the gage.-

3. In a leather cutting machine, the combination, with a table having a slot, of a gage applied to the upper surface of the table at right angles to said slot, and an upright knife extending' through said slot parallel to the gage and adjustable longitudinally in said slot.

et. In a machine for cutting leather into strips, the combination, with a table having a gage applied to the upper surface thereof and a slot extending at right angles to the gage, of a knife extending through said slot parallel to the gage, and means for adjustably supporting said knife at its upper and lower ends so that it may be adjusted length wise of said slot and toward and away from said gage.

5. In a machine for cutting leather into extending therefrom, an adjustable block on said cross-bar, a knife secured to said block and extending through the table, and means for supporting said knife beneath theI table.

(3. In a liather cutting machine, the combination of a table, a gage on the table, a knife extending through the table and adjustably supported at its upper end to be moved toward an'd away from the gage, and a slide-plate by which the lower end of the knife is adjustably supported beneath the table.

T. 'In a machine for cutting leather into strips, the combination, with a` table, of a gage applied thereto, parallel cross-bars extending from the gage at right angles thereto and at the same side thereof, a knife adjustiably supported from one erossbar, and springs applied to the other cross-bar and by which the leather is pressed down on the table.

S. In a machine for cutting leather into strips, the combination, with a table, of a gage on the same, a cutting knife, means for supporting the cutting knife above and below said table, said means consisting of an adjustable keeper at the upper end and an adjustable slide-piece at thelower end, and means for pressing the leather on the table during` the, feeding operation.

tl. ln a machine for cutting leather into strips, the combination, with a table, of a stationary gage on the same, a cutting knife parallel with lsaid gage, llat springs for holding the leather on the table, means for supporting the upper part of the knife, said means consisting of a cross-bar, a slide-bltak and a recessed keeper on said block, and means for supporting the knife below the table consisting of a slide-piece, means for clamping the slide-piece to the table, a slotted block, and means for clamping the lower end of the knife to said block.

In. testimony, that Vlv claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUG U ST IV. CllEllll. lVitnesses IxUL Gonrnn, Henny J. Snininnin. 

